The Rail Haven Inn began in 1938 and is a piece of Route 66 history
SPRINGFIELD, MO. – Route 66 was born in Springfield, Mo., on April 30, 1926, when highway officials met and agreed to the designation of 66 to the Chicago to Los Angeles highway.
The road was recognized in popular culture by both the 1946 hit song Get Your Kicks on Route 66 and in John Steinbeck’s novel, The Grapes of Wrath (1939), the highway symbolized escape, loss, and the hope of a new beginning. Steinbeck dubbed it the “Mother Road.” Other designations and nicknames include the Main Street of America.
After the new federal highway system was officially created, Cyrus Avery called for the establishment of the U.S. Highway 66 Association to promote the complete paving of the road from end to end and to promote travel down the highway. In 1927, in Tulsa, the association was officially established and John T. Woodruff of Springfield, Mo., was elected the first president.
The Rail Haven Inn began when in 1937, Lawrence and Elwyn Lippman bought their maternal grandfather, Robert Moore’s, apple orchard at the crossroads of U.S. 65 and 60 (both of which followed Glenstone Avenue) and South Highway 66 or St. Louis Street on the eastern edge of Springfield.
The Rail Haven Inn, with its split-rail fence, has long been an anchor to the cross-country Mother Road. In 1938, the Lippman built the Rail Haven Motor Court, starting with just eight sand-stone cottages that sat on 4 acres and were encompassed by a split-rail fence around the property. Each cottage had its own front porch and a heated garage. People enjoyed sitting on their porches in the evening. Wilson’s Service Station, with its two gas pumps, sat on the corner of the property. The old service station eventually became the motel office and gift shop. It still serves as the office today and the gas pumps still sit on the property, along with its antique phone booth.
In 1948, 18 additional cabins were built, and soon thereafter, were approached by Best Western to be added to its chain of motels. The Rail Haven Inn is the longest existing Best Western Motel.
In 1961, the Lippmanns sold the Rail Haven Inn to Ward Chrisman. He built a 24-hour restaurant on the property where the pavilion is now standing. The Sycamore Inn was a famous spot in Springfield for many years. It was frequented by motel clients, politicians, students and passersby. It was initially run by Carl Hamby of Hamby’s Restaurant. After about seven years, he decided he needed to get back to taking care of the restaurant.
By the 1990s, the once grand Rail Haven had succumbed to neglect, and word got around that the owners were willing to part with it. A local accountant, Gordon Elliot, had been buying other hotel properties and, as a history buff, was fascinated with the historical significance of the Rail Haven Inn. Once he bought it, he had to take on the requirements of Best Western’s standards as he remodeled it, bringing it up to code. The Sycamore Inn restaurant was also falling into disrepair and parking became an issue, so the restaurant was razed.
While remodeling the motel, Elliot created some themed rooms, catering to the crowds who visited from across the country and the world. Every year, people come on tours to visit the “Mother Road” and many of the sites are still standing on the road where visitors can still get their kicks on Route 66.
Themed-rooms include the Elvis Room, where Elvis stayed when he came to play at the Shrine Mosque. The Elvis Room, which is Room 409, is decked out with photos of Elvis and an actual tail end of a pink Cadillac converted into a combination sofa and footboard. The Elvis Room also sports a jacuzzi.
The future “King of Rock and Roll,” was booked to stay at Kenwood Arms, but he walked 1.4 miles to the Rail Haven, where is mother was staying.
The Wild Bill Hickok Room commemorates the first gunfight in Springfield. It has a mural of the gunfight against one of the end walls commissioned, especially for the decor of the room. It has a metal, free-standing soaking tub and is decorated in rich wood tones.
The Marilyn Monroe Room is one of the more popular rooms and remains booked. The room also has an in-room jacuzzi, and is adorned with photos of the blond bombshell.
A room dedicated to Elvis’s lead guitarist, James Burton, who also stayed at the Inn, features numerous memorabilia pieces donated by his wife after his death.
The Rail Haven Inn, which was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2010, is still a gathering place for those who frequent antique car shows in town or those traveling the historic highway.
During the Route 66 Blues Festival, a band is hired to play at the Rain Haven, and brats and beer are served. Last year, more than 800 people were served. The Rail Haven is also a stopping place for motorcycle clubs touring the area, hitting up other cruising spots in Springfield, like famous and frequent the spots famous for cruising in Springfield, like Steak and Shake, Taylors Restaurant and Reds Giant Hamburg.
The Rail Haven Inn has grown to 90 units, and continues to give guests unique look at Americana in the Ozarks.
Not only is it of historical significance, but is a real treat for those who stay there.
